What is Compounding?
Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalised medications for patients.
Compounding is when individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required for that specific patient. This method allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the doctor in a triangle harmony to customise a medication to meet the meet the patient’s specific needs.
Why Compounding?
Benefits of Compounding
Compounding allows a medication to be personalised for an individual patient. The ability to create these personalised medications allows compounding pharmacists to help patients with a wide variety of needs.
Compounding Pharmacists Make Medication That Is Difficult to Find or Discontinued
Sometimes a large pharmaceutical manufacturer discontinues a medication. Often this happens because not enough patients are taking the drug, so it is unprofitable to keep mass-producing it. But what about the patients who still need that drug? Hundreds or even thousands of patients still may need that medication.
A compounding pharmacist can re-create that medication by compounding it, so even if only one person in the world still needs that medication, they can have it thanks to compounding!
Compounding Pharmacists Make Medication Allergy-Friendly
A patient may be allergic to or intolerant of an ingredient commonly found in the commercially manufactured form of a medication.
Ingredients that may be allergy-inducing include:
• Lactose
• Preservatives
• Dyes
• Gluten
• Sugar
A compounding pharmacist can create a personalised medication, formulated to give the patient the treatment they need while leaving out the problematic ingredient.
Compounding Pharmacists Make Medication Easier to Use
Some medications have a very unpleasant flavour, which makes the patient less likely to take it as directed. A compounding pharmacist can flavour many medications to make it more palatable without compromising the medication’s effectiveness. This is especially handy when dealing with medications for patients who may refuse medication, such as young children, elderly patients, or even pets!
A patient may need their medication in a different dosage form. For instance, patients who have difficulty swallowing a pill may find it easier to take their medication in a pleasantly flavoured liquid form. Some medications can be compounded in a topical form such as a cream or a gel that allows the medicine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.
If you are Interested to know more about our treatments, please call our helpful and lovely Staff at Pause Menopause on 1300 255 225 or fill out our free consultation form and we’ll get right back to you.
All the best in health!
Kylie McCarthy
Nutritionist
